Little Bit Broken
by stormflame89
Summary: Harry was a little broken, had been for a long time. It was understandable, he was 310 years old after all. Harry-as-Skull. Slight M/M mentions.
1. chapter 1

A/N Ok hi people, so life has been extremely hard and I have not been writting like I should but this came to me while on pain meds. It is only the first chapter but I hope you like it. For those who read Cosa Nostra I am sorry there isn't a current update, Gokudera is blocking me but as I am pretty much bed ridden I plan to wrestle with him as well as work on this and some other pieces. So it is not beta'd if anyone is interested in being my beta and is willing to put up with my eratic writting please pm me. Thanks again and I hope you all like this, please review.

Chapter 1

Harry was a little broken, had been for a long time. It was understandable, he was 310 years old after all, older than any known person without the aide of the philosopher's stone or a blood curse, and yet under the magically constructed shell he wore he still looked 17. He'd buried all his loved ones, their children and their children's children, and his heart ached and his mind was tired.

That was what had led him to stand in front of the Veil of Death. Behind him the Minister of Magic, some pompous arse whose name he couldn't remember, was talking. Probably trying to persuade him against his actions but Harry had stopped listening to the man's whining a while before, he'd made up his mind the previous Saturday when he had 'celebrated' his birthday all alone.

He had spent so much time thinking of it, of walking through the Veil as no other earthly means seemed to be able to kill him. Of course even this venture had a 50/50 chance, his research had lead him to believe there was just as much a chance that he would just walk out the other side of the Veil as fall through the magical hole in the fabric of reality.

The shadow out of the corner of his eye, that had been his only true companion in all the world, shifted and Harry could see Death. The androgynous figure didn't say a word, just stood there with it's glowing, shifting eyes and watched. The brunet smiled sadly and strode forward, completely ignoring the sudden shriek from the man behind him. He reached the Veil and the whispers that he had heard all those years ago became voices. Voices that called him, that beckoned him, that beseeched him. He took the last step into the waiting arms of the Veil and darkness overtook him.

~0~

Harry was a little broken when he woke in a field. He was naked as the day he was born but for the moleskin pouch around his neck, inside which was all his most treasured worldly possessions and a small pile of gold and precious stones. Why it had made the trip and his clothes had not puzzled the old man but what concerned him the most was that his shell, the one that made him look older, the one that had taken every ounce of knowledge and patience of the greatest witch of his age to create, was gone.

He sighed, it would take years to reconstruct the shell, if he could even remember how, so he was stuck as a 17 year old, scrawny and short. Harry stood and took a look around himself. The field he had landed in had obviously never seen the hand of man, grass grew almost as tall as his 5'5" and the scent of pure nature surrounded him.

He was most obviously not on his earth, such places of pure unrefined nature had been only a memory for more than 200 years by the time he had left. He took a moment to bask in the glory of it before a stiff breeze reminded him that he was sens clothes. With a flip of a pale hand a wand appeared from the ether. While he was proficient at wandless magic, having practiced for many years, he knew for a fact that clothes produced in such a way didn't last as long as those conjured via a wand.

He paused, wondering what sort of clothing to make, muggle, wizard or something altogether different. The green eyed wizard settled on a tunic, pants and boots, comfortable, practical and easily changed to fit the style of those around him. Once attired he flicked his wand away and without a second thought picked a direction he assumed was north and set out.

~0~

He was in the past, he knew that the moment he saw the locals. They had probably just started gathering together to form villages, the remnants of hunters and gatherers from the looks of it. What Harry didn't know was if he was in his own past or the past of some other earth, because he was fairly sure he was on earth, the magic in the air felt similar but different.

He watched the village for a long time, trying to gather as much information as he could but eventually his notorious impatience won out and he approached one of the villagers. Luck was on his side that the villager he selected turned out to be the defacto chief.

"Well met." Harry greeted as he had seen others do in the days he had watched them. The words seemed funny to him, like what he heard wasn't what he was saying. The chief tightened his grip on the flint axe he carried but returned the greeting.

"Well met, strange one." The green eyes followed the man's lips, they didn't match his words. It was like an extremely powerful translation charm had been cast, one that worked both ways. "What brings you here?"

"I am traveling and am thankful to have stumbled upon you, for I have lost my way." The chief nodded and put down his axe. Harry was relieved at the easy acceptance because hunger had set in days before. "I had hoped to partake of a meal or two before going about my way."

"Come." The chief said turning back towards the village. Harry followed behind, eyes always open and taking in everything he could see in an attempt to discern where and when he was.

~0~

Harry stayed with the people of the unnamed village longer than he planned, because before he knew it a year had passed. He hadn't planned to but something always stopped him from leaving and he'd long before learned to listen to the whims of world round him.

And he was glad for it too, because not even two days past a year the village was attacked. Harry took up an axe in defence of the nameless village and helped drive away the attackers but in the last of the skirmishes a lucky shot got through and that last thing Harry was aware of was purple fire encasing his opponent as his head was caved in.

~0~

When he woke, Harry found himself wrapped in a rough sheet. It took him a moment to realize it was a burial cloth, and that he would have to leave the unnamed village because as far as they were concerned he was dead. He slipped away easily, after all in that time who guarded the dead.

Harry decided to travel, to see the world in all its ancient glory. And he did, he saw all the sights that could be seen, he saw the building of Stonehenge, the pyramids in all their glory and then he traveled further. Funnily enough he happened into what would be Israel just in time for the crucifixion. He finally had guesstimate date as to when he was so he set off for Rome.

He spent a long time in Italy, even joined the army, he saw the world through Roman eyes and visited every square inch of what was the Roman Empire. And when he grew bored of the soldier's life he died, changed his face and became a slave of all things.

He did that for a while, then changing his face and name again he left Italy. After many ages he returned to England and began in earnest his search for other magic users. He didn't find any. By the time the 1800s rolled around he'd visited every continent, dabbled in just about every job and trade he could find and was well and truly bored. He'd amassed quite a fortune in gold, silver and gems and decided to settle down in one place for a while.

~0~

Why he chose Italy again he didn't know, maybe because of the fond memories he had of the country or maybe because of the whisper of magic and not magic in his ear. He settled into a large house on the outskirts of Bologna and set about construction of the magic shell that would age him, he'd been putting it off for years even though he'd long since figured out how to make it.

It took two years to finish but the day he stepped out his door wearing it was the first day in a long, long time he felt unexposed to the world. He went about his life after that a little freer, a little happier. At least until he bumped into Giotto.

While he'd met many people over the years who also had the strange fires burning inside them that appeared when his life was most endangered, Giotto was the strongest most alluring of them all. He wanted to steer clear of the young man, the magic and not magic continued to push. As he got to know the blond he met the man's 'friends', friend being a loose term for the gaggle of followers that surrounded the powerful person. It was only after a long acquaintanceship that Harry found out about the Vongola, how he hadn't realized the blond was up to something he would never know.

Harry didn't join the Vongola as it set about battling the emerging Mafia, it just wasn't his battle and Giotto never asked him to. He did however find himself fascinated by the Rings, crafted by Talbot an old jeweler who felt old to Harry. He suspected some deep secret hidden in the old man, but he didn't pry after all he had his own secrets to keep.

Time passed and eventually Giotto, following a great battle, decided to step down from his throne and leave Italy. Harry visited the man once more on the eve of his departure.

"Giotto, my friend," he started as he he reached across the table to rest a hand on the man's arm, "Long have I known you and long will I miss your company."

"Hadrian," Giotto took a deep breath and clasped the hand on his arm with his own hand, "you have been a dear friend to me despite knowing all my truths, would that you come with us?"

Harry shook his head and the two sat in silence for a long time. Finally as dawn and the waiting ship approached Harry turned a sad smile on his first true friend in a very long time.

"If ever you are in true need, or if ever in the long line of your family your children find danger beyond their capacity, I will be there." Giotto smiled even as his brow creased at the wording but to Harry whose magic had only grown over the years the vow rang like gong.

And in the blink of an eye it seemed Giotto was gone, off on some great adventure and Harry was alone again. He tolled away the years in Italy trying to craft rings such as those that Talbot had crafted, those know worn by Ricardo and his 'Guardians'. Many years later in the dark of the night Harry woke to a shiver through his magic and Death standing at the foot of his bed.

Giotto was dying his magic said, Harry closed his eyes and felt for the connection forged between them by his vow and for the first time in thousands of years apperated. He followed the bond, flying blind so to speak, with Death just behind him and arrived with a quiet crack.

Thankfully Giotto was alone, asleep on a futon in a rice paper room. Harry took a moment to look at the old man that his friend had become before kneeling beside him. His blond hair was white and his face was lined with laughter and sorrow. Harry almost didn't have the heart to wake the man in his final hour but he knew Giotto would rather see Death coming then die in his sleep. He reached out a pale hand, young and vibrant without his shell, and touched his friend's shoulder.

Giotto came too slowly, his blue eyes blinking away sleep and age before turning to peer at his visitor. He looked for a long time at Harry, most probably not recognizing him, until finally a smile creased his weathered face.

"My friend, how good it is to see you, in this my last hour." He raised a shaking hand from bed and Harry carefully folded between his own. Giotto made no mention of his youthful face, younger even than when they had last met, and Harry said nothing of the flicker of the man's eyes to where Death stood. Not another said actually, they just sat there enjoying the last moments of each other's company.

Finally Harry felt Death move but this time Giotto's eyes remained locked on green ones, in them was all the words never spoken, the could have beens, the maybes and the goodbyes. Then blue eyes closed forever and Harry was alone but the shadow in the corner of his eye. Harry broke just a little more.

~0~

After leaving Giotto in Japan, Harry returned to Italy long enough to pack before moving back to jolly old England. He passed through just about every town and city in the Kingdom by the time the first World War rolled around and on a whim he joined the army again. This time in his shell he was able to remain the same person for a sizeable amount of time and so he found himself also participating in the horrors of WWII. Oh he could have ended it easily, as there were no magicals behind Hitler, or behind anyone for that matter, he could have put a stop to it all quite easily, but he knew that certain things, certain events were meant to happen. They had been written in stone and to change those thing to drastically was to break the stone altogether and that could mean the end of a timeline. Time Theory 101, he'd actually done fairly well in that class, though the knowledge of it was foggy at best.

After the war and after a particularly spectacular heroic death, Harry changed faces and names and moved on. He traveled again for a while but in the 1960's he took on a more permanent identity as the Great Skull the Undying, the man whom Death hated.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N Hi everyone, so glad that this story was so well liked. Thank all for reviewing and bookmarking and favoriting I loved having my email blown up. So here is chapter 2, again not beta'd, since I have two chapters of this up I am going to try and work on one of my other pieces as well as rereading the manga in hopes of getting everything close to right. I do plan to do some work on this but not as much as I have recently. On a side note my health is real bad right now and I am struggling in class so I don't actually know when I will next update but I hope soon so please enjoy chapter 2 and review.

Storm

Chapter 2

Harry had taken up motorcycle riding, he'd actually been riding since WWII but early in the 60's he found a passion for daring stunts. He traveled to America, where traveling cross country on a Royal Enfield Interceptor, going by the name Skull de Mort, he was picked up by a traveling circus run by a man whose name seemed to change everyday. It so happened that his ever daring stunts pulled in quite a crowd and after a particularly gruesome crash where he walked away unscathed he gained the title the Great Skull the Undying. Later some fool had stated he was the man whom Death hated, and it had stuck, he'd laughed his arse off as the shadow in the corner of his eye shifted unhappily.

He didn't stay more than a year and a half with the circus, having found the atmosphere to be too clingy. Instead he went on to do his own thing for a while. Until one day he was in a diner on some back road in the middle of absolutely nowhere when 'he' showed up.

The Man in the Iron Hat had a presence quite unlike anything Skull had felt before in all his long life. It was like the fires he'd felt in people before, like Giotto and his friends, but it was stronger and older with a flavor that left the purple haired man's tongue tingling and made it difficult to look straight at him. He was a person that Skull's magic said to avoid at all cost if possible.

Well it turned out that he didn't have a choice because the man walked right towards him from the door and took a seat across from him like they were old friends.

"Hello 'Skull'." The Man greeted, again as if they had known each other forever. A smirk touched his lips as he set his iron hat on the table. He stuck out a checkered hand but Skull leaned back, his persona was more than a little touch shy. The man chuckled and dropped his hand. "I am called Checkerface, and I am here to offer you the deal of a lifetime."

"What sort of deal could you offer the Great Skull?" Skull asked pompously, bravado leaking from every pore, so maybe he took his persona's a little too seriously. He'd found a great passion for acting and coming up with new faces and names and people was a hobby of his after all and he took pride in his work.

"Death." Checkerface's voice was low and sweet. Skull felt his broken heart skip a beat, Death, his best and truest friend and the one being he was forever separated from, the one thing he had given up hope on. He turned old, tired eyes on the smirking man. This creature knew, knew that he couldn't die, that he longed for it with the desperation of the truly tired.

Death fluttered around the end of the table, it's shifting eyes never leaving Skull's face. Skull felt his throat close because he could feel the loneliness of millenia settling on his shoulders as he looked into those sadly beautiful eyes. He turned back to the smiling Checkerface, who just smirked wider and chuckled a little.

"What is this deal?" All bravado gone from his voice Skull waited calm and tired and just a little scared of this strange man.

"It's not much, just do some jobs with a select set of people, all the best in their fields." Checkerface spread his hands out in an attempt to seem innocent. Skull knew the creature was holding back something, something important. "I Prescelti Sette."

Skull froze, the selective seven, it was a something he'd heard about while he'd lived in Italy. Something in his gut, probably his magic, said it was a trap but Death lingered at the end of their table. Checkerface pulled a letter from his pocket and slid it across the table before picking up his iron hat and departing.

Skull stared at the envelope for an hour, the coffee he'd ordered before Checkerface had shown up was stone cold when the Master of Death picked it up and gulped it down. Skull set down the mug and swiped up the letter, throw down a large bill and strode out of the diner.

~0~

The meeting of the 'I Prescelti Sette' took place in the back room of a rather reputable establishment in Italy, Bologna of all places. Skull hadn't been back to Italy since he was Hadrian and his heart hurt to remember what could've been and what was.

He wasn't the first there but he also wasn't the last. Already in the room was a tall Asian man, dressed in a traditional changshan, with a long black braid thrown over his shoulder, an Italian man with a suit and fedora covering his features, and a woman with a shock of blue hair in a uniform. Skull took a moment to feel each of them out with both his magic and the not magic that had slowly been decreasing over the years.

The Asian man felt like a inside out hurricane, calm on the outside and swirling with rage on the inside. Fedora was a bright burning ball of arrogance, a man who was all too familiar with Death. The woman was most definitely a soldier, a good one at that, but she felt a little frazzled however. They were analysing him as well and he could see the moment each of them fell for his act.

His leather riding cloths, purple hair and white painted face made him look young and vulnerable, and everyone of them marked him as not a threat within moments. Skull smiled at each of them, putting them further at ease with his childness, and seated himself in a position that put his back to the door. It was a vulnerable spot but he had a feeling no one else would pick it because of the danger.

Not long later a green haired man in a lab coat strolled in with his hands tucked deep into his pockets, he did a once over of the people already there and seated himself next the woman. No one spoke as they waited.

The door opened and admitted a cloaked androgynous figure who seemed to glide across the floor. This person set Skull's senses on edge, they had a touch of magic in them, more then he'd found in all years on that earth. They sat down gracefully and pulled out a stack of cash and began counting it. Finally a woman entered and the door was locked.

The woman was classically beautiful with a small yellow flower tattooed on her cheek, she wore a large white hat and was heavily pregnant. She set off all of the same alarms in Skull that Checkerface had but to a lesser degree.

"Hello, would anyone like a cookie?" She said with a smile as she pulled out a tupperware container overflowing with cookies. Skull was the only taker, no poison could hurt him permanently after all, and she got into a cute battle of wills with Fedora over coffee.

Skull watched as each of them introduced themselves; Fedora was Reborn the World's Greatest Hitman, Asian man was Fong of the Triads, the blue haired soldier was Lal-Mirch of COMSUBIN, lab coat was Verde the World's Greatest Scientist, the cloaked person was Viper the Esper and the woman who set Skull on edge was Luce the Don of the Giglio Nero. Truly all the greatest people in the world and then it was time to introduce himself, he had many choices on how to go about it, he could make them love, hate or despise him all with how he played the next moments.

"I'm the Great Skull, the World's Greatest Stuntman." He said all his teeth flashing as arrogance dripped from him. Reborn started laughing almost immediately as he tilted his fedora to cover his face even more. Shortly after each of the others joined in and the room rang with their amusement. Skull deflated a little, his character's ego bruised.

"Lackey." Reborn stated with a chuckle in his voice and so Lackey was added to the many names and titles that he had worn. Harry, behind his Skull shell, laughed at the easiness of fooling these people, the greatest in their respective fields. He hadn't even had to use magic, beyond his shell, of course.

~0~

The series of jobs turned out to be fairly challenging even for I Prescelti Sette, mostly because they weren't use to working with others. Skull was mostly relegated to menial and scut work, not trusted by the others mostly due to his 'civilian' background. That is right up until they saw him die for the first time.

It was their fourth mission, a very messy mass hit, and Skull had been assigned to the job of making sure the innocents escaped. Everything was going according to plan, they had even been close to finishing, when Skull felt it. Death swept from the shadows in rage, the purple haired man turned to find Reborn in battle with one of the targets and in the obnoxious bastard's blind spot was a sniper.

Skull was moving before he'd even fully registered the situation but as he collided with the bullet, he knew that if Reborn died in that moment it would be a very bad thing for the universe that he called home. The last thing he saw was the sniper going up in flames and Reborn's surprised face.

~0~

Waking up after dying was always disorientating, waking up to five demanding voices was even more so. Skull ignored everyone as he tried to right his brain but the others didn't take being ignored very well.

"Lackey, what the hell was that?" Reborn growled, his gun clutched in a bloodless hand. Behind the hitman the others, minus Luce who was smiling as she stood off to the side, where standing demandingly.

Skull blinked in confusion, what did it matter to these people, these people who called him lackey and generally despised him.

"I died." He finally stated as if that was all there was to it, and in his mind that was the truth. Reborn's closed fist came down hard on Skull's head with a cracked. "What the hell was that for?"

"We know you died, idiot." The brunet snarled, completely ignoring Skull's indignant question. "You had a hole through your head and no pulse. My question is how the hell are you alive?"

"Oh," Skull said as he scratched the side of his head. "Didn't I tell you guys about that?"

"No!" The others screamed in frustration.

"Geeze," Skull exclaimed as he covered his ears. After a moment he dropped his hands and turned 'truly' sad eyes on his 'teammates'. "I can't die. Doesn't matter how injured I am, I always wake up after."

The other's seemed to all take this news differently. Verde had a strange maniacal gleam in his eye, Fong seemed sad, Lal Mirch didn't seem to believe him, Viper was blank under their hood and Reborn had an evil smile on his face as he stroked his pistol lovingly.

When he woke up again, following Reborn shooting him for the express purpose of proving his statement, he found himself dragged back to Luce's manor. There he was given his fist in depth explanation on Flames. Oh he'd known about the fires in people and the not magic in the air for years but he'd never truly understood them. Even Giotto had never explained about the Flames of Dying Will, either because he thought Hadrian had already known or because he hadn't wanted to drag his friend into the mafia any more than he had to.

The I Prescelti Sette had no such compunctions, in fact they seemed to take great joy in soiling Skull's civilianess. As they explained about the different Elements and their powers and the draw of the Sky, he felt something tickling the corner of his long forgotten memories.

Later that night when he was finally alone he allowed himself to remember a time long gone by, a time when others flocked to him like he was the last bit of blue in an otherwise cloudy sky. He couldn't help but wonder if some aspect of these Flames had been present in his world and if they had why was he a Cloud now if he was a Sky then as he suspected.

He woke the next morning tired and without answers. They others were all well rested and more than ready to continue on with the jobs and they turned evil smiles on him when he complained.

~0~

Skull knew something bad was going to happen. He could feel it in his ancient bones as he climbed behind the other I Prescelti Sette towards the top of a mountain, Checkerface had left word that their last job would be revealed at the spring that rested at the very top. He had almost backed out, but the promise of Death whispered in his ear a year before held him strong.

As he climbed, his legs dragging him along, Skull heard rocks shifting behind him. He didn't have to turn to know that it was Colonello, Lal Mirch's wayward student, who had shown up on more than one occasion in the past year. The purple haired man decided to ignore the follower, his gut telling him that some good would come of it.

Finally after three days they reached the top and beheld a gleaming spring. And in the air above the water stood Checkerface, the odd creature didn't give them a chance to speak as he threw a set of gleaming items into the air as soon as the last of them had reached the top. As each item caught the sun a ray of disjointed light shoot out and connected with each of the I Prescelti Sette, the rainbow of light blinded Skull even as he heard Lal Mirch grunt and he felt his Flames being drawn outward. His senses were on fire with pain and he could hear the others cry out.

When the light faded Skull found himself curled up in the fetal position. When he righted himself he found to his dismay that he was a child. Around his neck was a shining pacifier and when he tried to remove it he found he couldn't breath. When he got his breath back and had calmed down he found out something even more disturbing to an undying man.

He could feel each of the others who stood around him in a much deeper way than he'd felt anyone in a long time. It was than that he noticed that Checkerface was gone and that there were eight people on around the spring. He turned and saw that each of the others had also been transformed into infants with colored pacifiers and that Colonello wore the blue of Rain while Lal Mirch had a swirling black one that made him feel a little sick to look at. So the Arcobaleno were born.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N So I lied, this came out a little easier then I thought, but really I have homework due tomorrow and I can't write anymore of this till I have reread the manga. Love all of the response and hope to get more, so please review.

Chapter 3

Rage filled Skull as he stared at the people he was now bonded with in a way he hadn't felt in many, many years. These people who were now as close as family to him, who he couldn't stand half the time, who were milling around the spring in a confused daze.

All except Luce.

Luce had never truly been a part of the group, always distant for all her motherliness. Luce who already had a full complement of 'Guardian Elements'. Luce who had a touch of farsight and reminded Skull far to much of Checkerface.

Skull's rage went cold, his face was hot under his makeup and his eyes pressed into small slits. Luce had known, had known it was going to happen. Had known they would be cursed and had led them to the slaughter with a smile. Not to mention she was pregnant for a second time, the over round belly odd looking on her small child's body.

"How dare you?" He asked, his quiet voice carrying across the mountain top as if he'd shouted. Everyone turned to him but his eyes remained fixed on Luce who met his glare head on. Reborn, who'd always been closest to the Sky made to shoot Skull for his tone but Skull refused to cowed. His Flames seethed from every pore as magic flooded the air, it was a great challenge to keep his powers under control as they had gained an odd sort of sentience over the years. "How dare you do this to us?"

Everyone, even Reborn, froze at his question and at the clear anger that flowed from the 'weakest' of them. Luce didn't answer but tears started to flow down her pale cheeks. Skull turned his back on the woman turned child with a look of disgust. He just stood there for a few moments taking deep breaths as he tried to bundle his powers back into their respective places in his soul. Finally, when he no longer felt as if he was going to explode, he started walking toward the path that would led him down the mountain.

"Wait Skull." Luce cried. She rushed toward him, hands wrapped around her heavy belly, but Skull refused to be drawn into the trap. He didn't feel anything but anger toward a woman, who just days before had made his favorite dinner for no reason. Behind the two of them the others stood silent but Skull could feel each of their angers and truthfully it only fueled his desire for escape. He could feel Luce too but in a distant way and he could only assume it was because he was only her second Cloud. "Please Skull, don't leave."

The small ex-stunt rider ignored the plea and started the long walk down the mountain. Behind him the others began to follow, leaving the deceitful Sky alone on a mountain top in France.

~0~

When he was finally alone Skull, still feeling the cold ball of rage deep in his belly, sat down and began to sort out the new ties he felt to his battered soul. He could feel each of the other I Prescelti Sette, or the Arcobaleno as they had decided to name themselves, even Lal Mirch with her corrupted feeling bond and Colonello with the bond that felt like fresh but agonized Rain. But the bond that interested Skull the most was the old Misty one that seemed to attach to him through the Pacifier around his neck.

A grim smile touched his lips as he followed that link, followed it over land and sea back to a place that brought just as much sorrow to his heart as Italy. Japan, that smirking bastard was in Japan of all places.

Skull took some deep breaths and gathering himself apperated. As he was squeezed through the tube that was folds in space and time he felt his powers starting to boil. When he arrived it was with the loud sound of a firearm.

"I was wondering when you would arrive Skull." Checkerface said condescendingly. Skull turned and found the creature sitting comfortably before a bank of monitors. The cold bubbling and boiling rage turned white hot at the sight, all his power came to the forefront and a mix of purple Cloud Flames and deep green magic surged toward the beast. If anyone else had been present they would have been in awe of the destruction reeked by the Inverted Cloud.

The creature jump to it's feet as the power ripped past, destroying the chair, the monitors, half the concrete building and leaving a sizable dent in the floor. Checkerface waited a moment as Skull stood panting, hands on his tiny knees, before bursting into laughter. Skull gritted his teeth and started drawing on his quickly replenishing stores of power but stopped when the Man In The Iron Hat raised a hand.

"As much as I would enjoy battle with you little broken Sky, would it not be better to talk?" The smirk was still in place, but Skull caught a sense of uneasiness from the other. Skull took several deep breaths and let the rage return to its place in his belly.

"Why?" He demanded, voice deep despite his body.

"Because the world is dying, has been since before you appeared." Checkerface stated with a shrug of his shoulders. "The Tri-Ni-Set is the only thing keeping the world in balance, it was once the duty of my people to care for it but as we died out we had to entrust it to 'humans'."

"Tri-Ni-Set." Skull repeated. The words held a trump of doom to them. He laid a hand over his Pacifier, the energy that it emitted beyond his own Flames did in fact feel much like the not magic that had slowly been failing over the years. "Tri, what other parts are there?"

"That'd be telling now wouldn't it?" Checkerface said with a laugh. Skull almost exploded again but he swallowed down his rage. "Let's just say that the other parts are in good hands."

"You promised me Death." Skull stated after a moment. He closed his eyes trying to hold back the tears that wanted to flow as he thought of the broken promise.

"I did." Checkerface replied, his smirk no longer there. Death stood next to Skull and suddenly he was Harry again, old and tired and broken from taking hit after hit and getting back up each time. Harry wanted to die, it wasn't even a matter of seeing long gone loved ones, he justed wanted to sleep. "It is simple, your second power mixed with your Cloud Flames is enough to support the Tri-Ni-Set for a millenia. You have two choices, you can live out that time as the sole Tri-Ni-Set holder or you can carry on with the Cloud Pacifier until the others no longer can. Either way you die."

Harry started to cry, he was exhausted, he didn't want to live for another 1000 years but he also didn't want others to die with him, because he had a feeling that taking the Pacifiers from them after so long was a death sentence. He sobbed as his selfishness, the one that had been buried so far down inside him for so long rose to the surface. He turned and fled.

~0~

It was many long days before Skull returned to the other Arcobaleno and when he did it was with a broken heart, after all he had all but issued their death warrants. When he arrived it was to find that he was not the only one to have taken his leave for a few days. Reborn had also left and had yet to return. Skull sat at the large table in the dining hall in the manor that had once been so inviting and stared at his gloved hands. He could already see the blood of the other Arcobaleno staining the leather and he knew that he would have to leave permanently.Fong walked into the room, his changshan bright in a dark room. He sat next to Skull even though his customary place was on the left of Luce's seat at the head of the table. They sat in silence for a while, it was a quiet silence unlike the ones he had shared so long ago with Giotto.

"When will you leave?" Fong finally asked, his new voice high and sweet. Skull shrugged his shoulders in answer, he'd never really interacted much with the martial artist, nor many of the others bar Reborn. He'd known when he spoke that first time that he would be seen as a burden and left out of most 'bonding' moments so Fong's behavior was suspicious at best. "Where will you go?"

"Don't know." Was Skull's mumbled response. He didn't know after all, he couldn't go back to stunt riding as it was too public. He couldn't even change faces because of the stupid glowing Pacifier. His options were truly limited to things that he'd tried to stay away from, things like the Mafia where the I Prescelti Sette were revered.

Fong just nodded and after a few moments more of silence left Skull alone at the table. Skull remained there for a while longer, staring at his gloves, before heading to his room to pack.

~0~

Leaving Luce's manor turned out to be harder than it seemed. Turned out the mafia Don was more than a little possessive, and majorly manipulative. Skull actually felt sorry for young Aria, Luce's daughter, because in the end he could leave, no matter Luce's tricks and bribes, but the young heiress would never be able to.

As it was Luce, had gone as far as locking Skull and the other's in the dungeons of her estate in order to keep them, but Skull had never been good at playing prisoner. Not even half an hour after being locked up by Luce's actual Guardians Skull had freed himself and was walking out of his cell.

He made quick work of freeing the others and they in their full powers had broken past the Guardians into the upper levels. When finally Luce conceded to allow them to go it was only to save her Sun from being ripped apart. They all left at that point and all went their own way; Colonello to Mafia Land, Lal Mirch to C.E.D.E.F., Fong to the Triads, Viper disappeared completely, Verde to some lab in Sweden and Reborn who had never actually returned remained MIA until reports of impossible hits began coming in from all over the world. Skull himself began to reexplore the world, finding it much harder as an infant to do so.He had't even been able to reconstruct the shell that had been broken on The Fated Day, as the incident was called.

He'd just arrived in India when his Pacifier began to glow. It puzzled him for a moment when he remembered it had glowed while in the presence of one of the other Arcobaleno for several minutes. Not even a moment later Reborn appeared. The tiny man stared at Skull as if judging whether to acknowledge him before evidently deciding not to because he just turned and jumped away, using his adult strength to propel his infant body much further.

At least Reborn was alive and healthy, though Skull was sure that they would all know if one or more of them died. Skull instead of following Reborn turned the other way and headed into a forest that if he remembered correctly had once had a path to a great temple. He never found the path, instead he found a great lake and in that lake he found his partner Oodako.

Oodako was an octopus, why said octopus was in India of all places, he could never figure out but that didn't matter. He knew the moment he saw the small creature that it was his. With his magic he changed it, allowing it to life outside the water for an extended time and allowing it grow and shrink as he desired. After that Skull was a little less lonely as he traveled.

~0~

Skull and Oodako didn't run into the other Arcobaleno often, they had tended to keep to themselves from the beginning and as years past they drifted even further apart. Skull gave up traveling in the early 80's and because of a mild disagreement ended up 'joining' the Carcassa Famiglia.

Skull was very unhappy with the arrangement but he figured he would only have to put up with the rotten Mafia Famiglia up until the Don passed. Through his network of informants, something he had put together in his years of traveling, Skull was informed that the other Arcobaleno were equally unhappy with his choice of Famiglia but being the people they were had decided to let him go down with his ship.

~0~

Everything was going well for Skull and Oodako when the feeble old Don of the Carcassa ordered him to attack Mafia Land. Mafia Land was the brainchild of the Vongola Alliance to which the Carcassa did not belong and thus wished to destroy. The only real problem Skull had was that Mafia Land was Colonello's turf, not that he'd had much to do with the accidental Arcobaleno but there was the Arcobaleno Pact to consider.

While the Pact, explained by Luce while she was holding them hostage, kept them from directly attacking each other in order to protect the balance of the Tri-Ni-Set it didn't stop a 'friendly' spar from happening. So as long as he thought of Colonello as a sparring partner nothing bad would happen.

Skull sighed deeply as Mafia Land came into sight from the bow of his battleship. He knew the Carcassa were going to lose, Colonello still held the records for best sniper shots in the world and had his special gun that could take out one of his ships in a single shot. It was now a battle to see if his and Oodako's acting was up to snuff. He sighed again.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N Hope everyone is good, I am well I guess. So here is chapter 4, I hope you all like it. Love reading all the reviews so keep them coming please.

Chapter 4

The landing was successful and they proceeded right up to the Mafia-fortress that was Mafia Land's Icon before they met any resistance. It was a short firefight before a mass of Alliance members came charging out, a figure perched on their shoulders. They tossed down the person and retreated, Skull waited for his opponent to right himself. They brushed hair out of their face and he froze.

There looking back at was a young washed out Giotto, and it hurt. To see that face looking back at him with fear was like a kick in the balls. Skull didn't know what to do, so instead he fell back on what he was good at, acting. He'd just unleashed Oodako on the unsuspecting Alliance members, making sure to avoid the Giotto look-a-like when an equally familiar if not as fondly remembered person appeared.

"What, you still haven't eaten the octopus yet?" Reborn, of all people, asked as he perched on a tree branch. A mysterious smile touched the other Arcobaleno's face sending a cold chill down Skull's spine. "Like I said before, I'm sure it'll taste really good."

"Reborn!" The look-a-like shouted, it seemed they knew each other well and the helmeted baby suddenly felt very tired. He wanted to curl up in a ball and cry his tiny eyes out but instead he was stuck in a farce of a fight.

He didn't pay much attention to the things happening around him, his focus on trying to figure out why Giotto's descendant and Reborn knew each other. He knew the blond had traveled as far as he literally could to escape his lineage ever coming back into the mafia but here was a boy looking just like him 'in bed' with an Arcobaleno. It left a bad taste in his mouth, made even worse by the words 'Vongola Decimo' he could hear off to the side.

Maybe he should have kept an eye on the man's descendants, it had just hurt too much. So instead he'd distanced himself from everything he could that had reminded him of everything he could have of had.

Skull had over the years systematically destroyed every physical reminder of his long lost self so that he was sure Giotto wouldn't even recognize him if they ever met again.

The fight ended just as he thought it would and he was sent flying into the sea with Oodako amongst the floating wreckage of his fleet. Skull floated there in the bay of Mafia Land, his cracked helmet letting sun and water touch his seldom seen face. He allowed the sea water to wash away the tears that flowed from his eyes as he again mourned a lost loved one.

~0~

Skull decided following the whole Mafia Land debacle to quit the Carcassa, which may have involved a slight coup with the former Don's heir, and had picked up traveling again; what else was an immortal to do? He had been planning to travel to America again when he laid down to sleep one night some months later.

They had to hide, they had to run, HE was catching up. Skull hadn't felt such fear for himself or others in a long time and as he ran through the dark abandoned city with Death in wing beside him he knew someone was going to die. His mission partners, Reborn and Colonello, raced alongside him, their infant bodies pushing past the limit and he knew just as they did they couldn't keep it up for much longer. A laugh and wing beats echoed in his ear.

Skull came to a decision and did an about face, he skidded along the ground as his momentum carried him in the direction he'd been heading. Behind him he could hear the other two turning a corner and coming to an abrupt halt, no doubt peeking around said corner at him. He ignored them and looked up.

High above a slim suited figure descended toward him and he swallowed as Byakuran's evil smiling face came into view. The purple haired Arcobaleno waited in complete stillness, his heart aquiver, with Death beside him as true evil approached.

"I knew you wouldn't run forever, little Skull." The albiano stated as his polished black shoes touched the ground. Skull didn't say anything just drew himself up, allowing Flames and magic to flow towards his hands. He prayed the other two would make it, their mission resting somewhere in the back of his mind. "You never do, no you'd rather face Death. Come then Master of Death and greet them once and for all!"

Skull, no Harry, stared at Byakuran with ancient eye for a moment before bursting into action. He shot forward, hands a glow with power, as he raced toward the immobile figure. He jumped bringing forward his right hand only to be blocked by the other. A blast of Flame streaked off into the building beside them. From there they danced for hours, Skull with his rapid healing and quickly replenishing Flames and magic allowing him to keep up even with the corrupted being he fought. They could have battled all night but all things come to an end and as he was kicked into a wall he knew it was all over.

His powers came to him sluggishly and he hurt and was tired. Harry and Skull, who'd traded places multiple times in their head over the night, both knew that it was over as Byakuran approached.

"Your Death has always been so much fun." The white haired man stated as he pulled a pistol from his ruined suit. Skull turned his head to the side and saw Death, their glowing eyes glaring up at Byakuran as the monster stopped in front of him. He turned drooping eyes onto his executioner and gave a bloody smile. "May you rest in peace Skull."

The gun was fitted to his forehead and he maintained eye contact right up until the bullet passed through his head.

Skull sat forward in his bed, his heart racing a mile a minute, as the 'dream' ran through his head. It was one of many that rested just outside his warded mind, enough to make up a life that would be never lived. He shuddered, he hated time travel, the fall out always gave him a headache.

The Cloud Arcobaleno turned over in bed and tried fruitlessly to catch even a wink of sleep. Later, when he'd finally given it up as a bad job, he sat staring out the window in contemplation, Death a whisper in his heart.

~0~

If Skull was a loner among the Arcobaleno before, he was a virtual ghost after the events of the Future That Never Was. He went well out of his way to avoid the others, or more specifically Reborn and Colonello. Something in him just couldn't face those two knowing that they might have seen him fail so spectacularly to defeat Byakuran or that they may have seen him use magic.

However the others seemed as determined to find him as he was to stay lost. So really he wasn't surprised when one day while eating at a French bistro his Pacifier started to glow. Not long after Fong sat down across from him. The other's miny chengyang almost as out of place as Skull's purple makeup and piercings.

"Why have you been running Skull?" The martial artist asked as he waved away the waiter, seemed like he wouldn't be staying. Skull shrugged as he set down his cup. He didn't feel like talking, hadn't since the vague memories of Death had settled into his mind. "We know you know we have been looking for you. Reborn and Colonello want to thank you."

Skull scuffed as he tapped a napkin against his lips, he threw down some money and jumped from his chair. Fong jumped after him and the two walked along the boulevard for a little while until they reached a bridge and Fong turned toward him.

"Will you not come back with me?" He asked, no doubt hoping Skull would follow him back to the others.

"No, Fong." The Cloud said, his voice tired and old. He jumped onto the barrier and sat looking out into space. Eventually Fong left, most likely going to call Reborn, and Skull relaxed a little. Finally as the day faded he slipped down and allowed himself to be drawn once more into the memories that never would be.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N Hello folks, I hope this chapter explains anything that was missed in the previous chapter. Sorry it took so long I have been working on Cosa Nostra (for those of you who haven't read it please do) and my final is coming up on wednesday so I have been studying. I hope you enjoy please review I love reviews and I want to thank all my reviewers I love you guys.

P.S. I am also working on a Reborn/Harry love story so that should be out soon.

Chapter 5

Skull looked up at the house, the house of Byakuran di Gesso. The place was as white as its name suggested, even the lawn was covered in white flowers. Skull could see why the older Byakuran had been flower obsessed.

Skull didn't even know why he was there, maybe he didn't have a reason, he'd spent so many sleepless nights thinking about what could have been that he might just have lost all common sense. But now that he was there he certainly had some questions for ex Mire Ring wearer.

As he approached the gate it opened, seemed he was expected. The driveway was as long as any of other mafia houses he'd been to but Skull didn't mind, the long walk through sweet smelling flowers harkened to a time long forgotten. A young white haired teen was waiting for him when he reached the steps.

"Hello Skull." The teen said as the Arcobaleno looked up into his purple eyes. Skull was almost surprised that he didn't feel any hate towards this Byakuran for the sins of his no-longer future self. Instead he felt sorrow, for both of them. Gesso smiled sadly as he started down a path that led around the house. "I know you have many questions, some I can answer but even I remember everything. Without the Mire Ring…" He paused, eyes going distant for a second, before shaking his head. "No. It is best that the Ring remain far from me. But ask what you will."

"How do you know my title?" It was the question that bugged him the most, he'd guarded that knowledge dearly for over 4000 years after all. Byakuran sighed and swept aside his pearly hair from his eyes.

"Sadly that is something that will stick with me. You pervade history so deeply Skull, having touched every land and time since you arrived. You are the only thing that is constant throughout the timelines through which the Mire Ring could pierce." He paused and took a deep breath through his nose before looking at the cursed man. "I took great fun in hunting you down in each world, finding out everything about you and then taking you apart bit by bit, sometimes quite literally so."

"Torture?" The purple haired toddler asked, not seeing it, he'd lived through torture before after all.

"Yes." Gesso nodded, his lips were pulled into a frown. "Years of it and I would use everything I learned in one timeline in another to speed up the process. It was all game, and I was very good player."

"I didn't find out everything of course." The albino admitted with a rueful smile. "Even at the end you held dear your name, only ever giving me your title and how that was attained was also kept tight to your breast."

They walked in silence for awhile, each just enjoying the quiet. When they finally came to the back of the house Skull was shocked at the amount of color that seemed to bloom in the space. Gesso gave a laugh and began walking down a path cut in the flowers.

"Killing you was the hardest part but after I figured out how to it was simple enough. It is the anti Tri-Ni-Set radiation. It is constantly breaking down your cells and even you with your strange Cloud Flames couldn't reproduce your cells fast enough. In fact the faster you regenerated the faster it killed you, sapping you of your strength and leaving you helpless." Gesso said softly, his voice barely carrying.

"Could you do it again?" Skull asked, a desperate note in his tone.

"No." Replied the mafia heir as he shook his shaggy head. Skull broke a little as he closed his eyes. "I'm sorry Skull but even if I wanted to, and had the unsealed Mire Ring, the anti Tri-Ni-Set radiation is not something I could replicate without losing myself again."

"I understand." The cursed man said in a tired voice. The two of them walked for awhile but as the day turned into night Skull drifted into the shadows at the end of the drive.

~0~

Arriving back at his hotel room more than a little sloshed was probably was not the best idea when he was almost sure that at least one of the Arcobaleno would be there. But Skull had never been the one to worry about such things. He'd been expecting them but seeing Colonello and Lal Mirch hurt, partially because he was drunk enough to remember that the two of them had been in love and that he could have freed them but also because they were a reminder that he was still there. Skull closed the door behind him and completely ignoring his guests flopped on the not quite clean sheets.

"Skull…" It was Colonello who spoke first but Lal Mirch cut him off.

"Why are you here Skull?" The holder of the cursed Pacifier asked, hands on her little hips. "Byakuran Gesso is under house arrest and if you hadn't been an Arcobaleno you would have been taken to the Vindice."

"What does it matter?" Skull said as he peeled off his bike helmet and tossed it carelessly aside. "In the end even the Vindice will perish and the mountains will crumble and still I will walk."

"What are you talking about Skull?" Colonello demanded.

"I'm immortal you dumb ass." Skull snarled, purple eyes flashing emerald green. "I have lived since before you were born and I will live after you have died. I can't die."

"Why are you here, Skull?" Lal Mirch asked again, slowly. Skull started to laugh than cry. The other two exchanged looks and Skull who was more Harry then Skull cried harder. Maybe he had drank more than he'd planned.

"To see if he could repeat his trick." Skull finally said. He sounded so old and tired and broken that the other Arcobaleno simple left him alone. And he broke just a little more.

~0~

The next morning found Skull packing his things before the sun had even risen. On his way from his room he passed Colonello and Lal Mirch seated at a small table drinking. He left them there and hopped on his custom built bike. It wasn't quite built for the high flying stunts that he was fond of but it was more than a means of getting from point A to point B, it was his handmade baby. Built with his blood, sweat and tears the bike was as much an extension of himself as wand had once been.

Skull sighed as he mounted the machine and took off in a spray of gravel. For a long time he rode not think of anything but enjoying the Italian countryside nonetheless. He took reckless turns and payed no mind to the speed limit just flying as fast as he could. For all of a moment he was Harry again flying a broom at its top speed toward the ground and he relished the feeling of oncoming doom.

But all good things come to an end and Skull slowed into a gas station. He filled up his tank and picked up a map of the area. He might as well pick up his sightseeing.

~0~

Skull was in Barcelona when he had the dream, it was a reminder of a day that had yet to come, a day when the Arcobaleno would grow weak and die. He waited after that for more and was rewarded with a second dream. One that left him confused and more than a little anxious.

Had Checkerface found a way to free them from the curse he'd laid on them. No… That didn't seem right and Skull thought of his confrontation with the creature so many years before. It was another trap.

Skull was sure of it but to what end?

They who were already cursed, what more did they have to give?

A letter was waiting for him in his hotel room and Skull sighed heavily as he stared at the blank parchment. He pressed some Cloud Flames into his Pacifier and words, scattered and smudged appeared. The message was too damaged to read.

He'd have to go to the Pacifier Spring to boost the failing strength of his Pacifier's light.


	6. Chapter 6

Ok so this chapter was really hard to write and totally does not follow canon but I rewrote it three times before thi came out. So sorry if you dont like it but I wanted to get it out before I posted another chapter to something else. Please review and all

flames will be deleted.

Chapter 6

Finding out about Bermuda von Veckenschtein and his clear pacifier was an interesting development in the whole scheme of things but Skull was more interested in the Dream. The dream that called for the Arcobaleno to destroy the Pact and gather teams to fight for their freedom. The Cloud had no intention of doing anything that Checkerface suggested, no he was going to do what he should have on the Fated Day. He was going to face that strange pre-human and he was going to take on all of the Tri-Ni-Set.

The only problem Skull had however was that he couldn't find Checkerface for the life of him. The purple haired toddler knew the other was in Japan but the bond he had followed the last time was either gone or very cleverly hidden. So he decided to see what the other Arcobaleno were upto if only to be kept in the loop of the 'trials'.

When he arrived in Namimori, Japan, after having put his affairs in order, his heart hurt because he could feel the shadow of Giotto in the air. It was like every surface of the whole town was coated in memories of the past and he could just about taste the nostalgia of the place. He could feel all of the Arcobaleno had arrived but he didn't search them out, instead he meandered through the streets and watched with magic coated eyes as the secrets of the past unveiled themselves with each step.

Skull had been walking for hours when he came across the assembled Arcobaleno, their teams, the Vindice and Checkerface. The immortal was interested as to why the Mafia's police were there but he ignored everyone but the pre-human as he slipped easily through the crowd of people. They all fell silent as he walked between them and Checkerface frowned as he came into the other's view.

"I thought you wouldn't show Skull." The being stated surprising the assembled people at the guarded hint in that normally smooth voice. Skull smiled sadly and tiredly as the weight of his years showed the broken man he was.

"Turned out I can't be selfish." His words sent a shiver through the Arcobaleno.

"Lackey?" Reborn did not have to voice his question for everyone there to understand but Skull ignored the hitman.

"It's too late Skull," Checkerface said almost in a whisper though it carried to everyone gathered there. "You made your choice forty years ago when you ran away. Even if I wanted to I couldn't take the Curse from the others without killing them or turning them into Vindice."

"God damn you," Skull hissed, the crowd stirred but stayed silent out of shock. He could feel the anger and tiredness of years settling heavily on him. Death floated into being out of the corner of his eye and he had an idea. "Fine if you won't undo this I will."

He turned to the Arcobaleno and Vindice, the previous Arcobaleno, and with a flick of his hand conjured his wand. He wasn't quite sure if what he was about to do would work, it was just something he had toyed with in his head for year. With a deep breath he twirled his wand in the air.

"What are you doing?" Checkerface asked sharply as he no doubt felt the changes he had been working on the curse. Skull, no Harry, ignored the other instead focusing on the undercurrent of not magic that had always permeated this new world. He focused on the bounds he had with the other Arcobaleno and Checkerface. He was not looking to end the curse after all but shift it.

With closed eyes he couldn't see the glowing of each Pacifier dim but he definitely felt as a each part of the curse settled into his soul. His breath came to quick for him to actually fill his lungs but he didn't care. Skull forced the curse to change, to reshape itself until finally he fell to his knees weak and exhausted.

That's when the screaming started, each Arcobaleno, even the Vindice, could do nothing as the Pacifiers fell like stone to the ground and each of them were trapped in a small hurricane of rainbow light. Skull sobbed as the pain of the entire Tri-ni-set curse settled into his soul, he hugged himself as he suddenly felt so very alone in the world.

When the screaming stopped and the lights died the Arcobaleno and Vindice were revealed. The toddlers were no more instead standing there places were the people they had once been. And the Vindice had been renewed, no longer the undead but whole for the first time in many years. Cheers went through the crowd for a moment before Skull gave a weak cry as his own body shifted rapidly from toddler to adult to old man only to repeat itself several times. Finally his body stopped shifting leaving the now seventeen year old immortal on his knees.

"Skull-san," The Giotto look alike said softly as he walked forward. He dodged Reborn's hand and sunk to his own knees next to the cursed being. He ran a hand through purple looks before his eyes shifted from golden brown to sky blue and a smile touched those lips. "It has been to long my friend."

Skull sobbed more openly as he watched as the boy was possessed by the spirit of his ancestor. Everything hurt and to see his beloved friend and think that he would never see the other again hurt even worse.

"It is alright Hadrian," The ghost's voice carried through the air, his feelings easily heard in his tone. "You did what you had to and I am so proud to call you my friend."

The blue slowly faded from the boy's eyes leave Skull even more broken than before and Death shifted closer out of the corner of his eye.

"What have you done Skull?" Was the Checkerface's question as he stood clutching an indigo necklace. Skull laughed until he sobbed again but did not answer the other immortal instead he raised one hand and with a small push forced his Flames to the surface. The golden amber light shocked everyone there except for the two of them, after all he had been a Sky a long long time before in a place very far away.


End file.
